★★★☆☆

Café Italia is located alongside 2499, a rather busy road. Walking towards the bland, brick building, you won’t expect to be overcome by the sweet sound of Italian music and the aroma of pastas and freshly baked bread. Although the inside feels like a true Italian villa, when looking out the window at the Panda Express drive-through, this image is quickly shattered.

With different seating options from quaint little rooms to an outdoor patio, this restaurant is ideal for a Valentine’s Day dinner. The layout of the restaurant provides ample seating but at the same time, privacy.  

The food fit the atmosphere. However, the salad was rather blasé. The plate of largely chopped lettuce lacked the cheese, carrots, and olives that are usually found in a house salad. But the house dressing almost made up for the missing vegetation. The thick, red vinaigrette provided an interesting combination of flavor.

The wide variety of pastas at reasonable prices gives the customer many options. The manicotti was exceptionally delightful. The cheese filled pasta looked good from the start and tasted delicious. On the other hand, the spaghetti was average, but when mixed with the chicken parmesan, the flavor was enhanced. Although the taste was enjoyable, the texture was not great. The chicken was difficult to cut and unusually thin but was garnished with parsley and appetizingly placed on the white plate.

Café Italia is a good restaurant to a new Valentine if you are looking for a local restaurant that is not too expensive. The average meals range from $8 to $12. Couples who have been together for a while may want to choose a more extravagant venue.